Popular conservative television and radio host, Glenn Beck, created a stir last month when he preached a sermon threaded with Mormon theology at the evangelical Liberty University. During the talk, Beck referred to the Mormon doctrine of the Council of Heaven and showcased a valuable relic, the pocket watch of the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith. Some university alumni and donors were upset that the school allowed Beck to sermonize the students and contacted Liberty to place complaints. An email response was sent from the office of Johnnie Moore, senior vice-president for communications and assistant to the president at Liberty.

Most of the letter was boilerplate verbiage, but in the last paragraph Moore states that Beck may have had a “born again experience”:

First, I must apologize for my delayed reply to you. As you well know, we just emerged from an unbelievable graduation weekend at Liberty. We had more than 34,000 people in attendance and we celebrated the graduation of more than 17,000 students. It was quite the celebration, and it consumed my time entirely until this very morning.

Secondly, I would like to thank you for expressing your concern. Liberty takes concerns like yours extremely seriously, and that’s why I’m writing to personally address your concerns.

You should remember that Liberty University’s Convocation is not a church service.

We have explained over the decades repeatedly that convocation is an opportunity for students to hear from people of all faiths and from all walks of life. Liberty has also made it clear repeatedly that it does not endorse any statements made by any convocation speaker.

By contrast, our faculty are all required to profess Liberty’s statement of faith and to affirm our doctrinal statement. Our students are all required to take many credit hours of theology and Bible courses, regardless of their major. Our students have no question about what Liberty’s doctrinal statement is. It is posted publicly for all to see. Our doctrinal statement is our public statement on Mormonism. It is the same statement that Liberty was founded upon and it will never change.

College is about learning. How can you defend what you believe if you don’t understand what others believe? I believe our students are stronger in their faith because of our convocation speaker series and the wide diversity of views that they have been privileged to hear in person over the last few decades.

Our president, Jerry Falwell, Jr. actually spoke to this during his remarks at our 41st annual commencement exercises this weekend. You can watch those remarks here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_Uz82ZHAHg (Preview)

By the way, many conservative evangelical leaders who are closer to Beck than me have told me that they believe Beck has had a born again experience recently. I do not know his heart but our audience knows that he was speaking only for himself and expressing his personal opinions and beliefs, not those of Liberty University or even of Mormonism generally. As Jerry Falwell, Sr., our founder, often used to say about speakers at Liberty who had different views than him, Liberty students are smart enough to eat the fish and spit out the bones! I believe that’s as true today as it was in his day.

96 Comments

Jen N

Virginia Breeze

Senior U.S. Senator Mark Warner of Virginia visited the campus of Liberty University Wednesday, March 26, and took the opportunity to speak to about 10,000 of Liberty’s residential students in Convocation. He inspired them to pursue their dreams with tenacity and not be deterred by failure.

Earlier in the day Warner gave a legislative update, hosted by Liberty and the Lynchburg (Va.) Regional Chamber of Commerce, in the university’s new $50 million Jerry Falwell Library.

As he spoke to Liberty students, Warner praised them for their energy and faith, saying Washington could use more of that and that he hopes to bring that spirit with him back to the capital.

He also praised the new Jerry Falwell Library, calling it “as world class as anything I have ever seen in Virginia or anywhere in the nation.”

Warner was introduced at Convocation by President Jerry Falwell, Jr., who shared highlights of the senator’s career.

Larry

Cat

How ignorant you are. You obviously do not have the capacity nor the openness to another point of view. The sale of any of his books or other items doesn’t profit him – it goes directly to the Mercury One charity. If you would only listen, as an American, how could you possible disagree? The Leftist mind is a closed mind.

anthony Johnson

No matter how false the doctrine is, it is still false. why even allow it in the front door or on the front porch? Mormonism is a false doctrine that fosters separation and racism. It does not adhere to scriptures no matter how they try to twist it. It is in the same category as hinduism, islam, atheism and so on. It is time to stop inviting evil into the house. We are to correct false doctrine when we hear it. show it for what it is, false. do not get caught up in trying to get alone to fit in. beware.

LindaSDF

Before anyone can join the LDS church, they must FIRST and FOREMOST declare their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s the only way to join the Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints.
Maybe we aren’t Christian like you are Christian. But we are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Eric

Perhaps but the Mormon Jesus was once a man and is not co-equal with God the Father. The Mormon Jesus is not part of the Triune God. The Mormon Jesus is the spirit brother of Lucifer, the Devil. The Mormon God was once a man and became a God of this world. So, the Mormon Jesus shares a name with Jesus Christ the Lord of the Bible but is something altogether different. This is a little like me saying that I am a dog lover and I have a dog named mittens that just had kittens and uses a litter box. I may call it a dog but it is clear that she is something altogether different. I do not begrudge you (or Mr Beck) your Mormon faith but please be honest about what that is.

Lew Craig

Writing as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or one of the “bones,” it is my personal belief that we have much more in common than we have differences. We have, or should have common goals: take care of the poor, feed the hungry, preach the gospel of Christ and fight increasing secularism in our society. Our tendency to criticize one another (members of my church are not innocent in this regard) is not Christlike nor what our Savior would have us do. In trying to accomplish the goals enumerated above, I do not have time to mince words about how you worship Christ or how you may think I don’t. I just celebrate the fact that you do worship, that you are committed to be more like Him and make every effort to follow His example. When He returns, He will, through His grace, decide who His followers are and aren’t. I’m just trying to do my best to follow what He has called me to do and am anxious for all of us to get on with His work. My best wishes and warm congratulations to all Liberty University staff, graduates and parents.

philip baker

Thank you Lew for your remarks, which I believe perhaps would reflect our Saviours attitutes if He was here. I have just spent some weeks in the Middle East and the Holy Land, and was saddened by the tensions between faiths – no, not Muslim’s atitudes towards Christions, but actual so called Christians, many who claim to be “born again” , against other Christians. Bigotry and narow mindedness were rife in the time of Jesus, he preached against suchs evils. Let us go to our knees and plead for the attributes He taught, so that even if there are some doctrines we can isolate are disagreeble to us, let us not be disagreable in our otreach to others. Thank you Liberty College, may you continue to be a beacon of tolerance ,shining the light of Christ into bigotry and narrow mindedness.

Mark S.

You resort to playing the victim and putting the Christian faith and born again status in quotation marks, as though to state that it is false.

The fact is that Mormons do not believe in the Biblical, actual Jesus. Some apparently think that they do, but Mormons believe in a conception of Jesus that is a spirit child of a god who became a god — who is a spirit brother of Lucifer. Mormons do not believe in the Triune God, but believe in polytheism — in fact hoping that they themselves can become gods having lived a perfect life. Mormons do not believe in the finished atoning work of Jesus on the Cross. Instead, they believe in salvation (or something like it) by their own good works. Mormons when speaking of the Gospel talk about Joseph Smith seeing angels and being given gold plates in upstate New York.

Mormons ARE NOT CHRISTIANS. I say that, not because I dislike Mormons. I say that because Mormons believe something different than Biblical Christianity. I say that with the hope that those who belong to the false religion of Joseph Smith, will hear the ACTUAL Gospel, and be brought to repentance of sin and faith in Jesus, by the work of the Holy Spirit. I hope that same thing for followers of mainline and emergent “churches” where the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not preached nor heard. I do say this out of a deep hatred for the false teaching of Mormonism that ensnared an uncle of mine, who I will NOT see in Eternity, and which ensnares so many people in delusions of right standing with God.

Trytoseeitmyway

Moragn vance

I love how you like to single Mormons out for doctrinal differences in opinion. The last time I checked, there are many different Christian sects. The Baptists differ from the Lutherans. The Catholics differ from the Methodists. The Pentecostals differ from the Jehova Witnesses. The Seventh Day Adventists differ from the Non-Denominationals. I have no idea what sect you belong to, but you need to get used to the fact that everyone interprets the Good Book differently. Just because a bunch of scholar elites in the 4th century at the Nicene Creed came together and decided that Christ was in fact 1 personage instead of 3, doesn’t make the Mormons crazy for believing otherwise. I think you’re just a little upset that their faith is actually growing these days, instead of shrinking like so many of the others

David Lloyd-Jones

Why do you, and apparently many LDS members, tolerate this mendacious, hyperthyroid loon running around bringing dishonor and disgrace upon your church?

I understand your church has excellent community support, public health, and counselling services — quite apart from your religious functions. Why can’t you get poor Beck the help he so clearly needs on both the secular and the spiritual planes?

Larry

The same reason people let jokers like Pat Robertson, Ken Hamm and Bryan Fischer hang out and declare themselves the sole public faces of Evangelical Christianity. They have the money and fame to do so.

Plus Christians would rather take a defensive posture against outsiders than criticize their own for acting stupidly.

trytoseeitmyway

David, while it is obvious that your comment is tendentious, you may be interested to know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does indeed provide welfare services to members in need, including professional counseling, free of charge when required. I know of no other church that has such an extensive network of support services for its members. For example, a local bishop can write out a food order and send the needy member to a well-stocked grocery to pick out the items he or she needs to support his or her family in a time of financial crisis. I don’t mean at all to suggest that other churches don’t help their members or others in times of need – instead, I know that many have very significant ministries which undertake just those kinds of activities – but I think that the Mormon system of church welfare is more comprehensive and highly organized. LDS Family Services provide thousands of Church members with counseling and therapy for issues such a depression and addiction.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is likewise more engaged in trying to assure the spiritual worthiness of members than many other churches. The Church will excommunicate members who have engaged in serious criminal activity or sexual sin such as adultery. Local clergy (all of whom are laypeople who serve without pay) regularly meet with members to discuss their faithfulness in matters such as faith in Jesus Christ and his role as Savior and Redeemer, and the member’s honesty, chastity such as, where applicable, faithfulness to marriage vows. Although I know nothing at all about Glen Beck personally, it is logical for me to believe that he, too, meets with a bishop or other priesthood leader on a regular basis to discuss his honesty, marital fidelity, and faithfulness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

But of course what the Church does not try to do is to police the political views of its members. That’s how you can have faithful Mormons occupying places on the political spectrum from Harry Reid (Democrat) to Mitt Romney (Republican). From time to time, on some very specific issues relating to marriage and family issues, the Church has invited members to support its public statements in favor, for example, of the institution of marriage as it has been known. Even the Christians who are pleased in their Christ-like way to say all manner of unkind things about the Mormons nevertheless acknowledge the Church’s stalwart defense of marriage, to which it adheres despite the hateful and abusive rhetoric against the Church that members have endured as a result. So the Church doesn’t try to tell Beck what he can and can’t say on his programs or in other places on political issues.

Cat

You demonstrate that you lack the capacity and the openness to appreciate another point of view. He has it together than most Americans. However, to appreciate what he says, you need to listen. So many critics who don’t have a clue what Glenn Beck is about. Those that do, appreciate him greatly, as I do.

Robert Starling

The main reason that SOME folks say that Mormons are not “traditional” or “orthodox” Christians (which as a faithful LDS member I agree with) is that we don’t believe in the definition of the godhead called the “Trinity” found in the Nicene Creed. But that doctrine is not Biblical. It was pounded out by philosophical arguments from 272 bishops at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD that was presided over by the pagan emperor Constantine.

Mormons are “pre-Nicene” Christians, sharing the same beliefs as followers of Christ for the FIRST 300 years of Christianity. I’ll be happy to share my “strong reasons” for “the hope that is in me” with anyone interested enough to contact me at starlingrd -at- m$n d0t c0m

James Arnold

Dwight Rogers

You may be surprised to find that many of the so-called anachronisms in the Book of Mormon are continuing to fall by the wayside as the discoveries mount up. Many things once thought to anachronisms are turning out to be authentic pre-Columbian features mentioned in the Book of Mormon such as horses, pigs, barley, cement, cattle, elephants, writing on metal plates, head plates and body armor and scimitars, silk. Other features of the Book of Mormon are also being confirmed such as Hebraisms, chiasmus, correct details of the incense trail including the correct location of Nahom and Bountiful, metalworking and steel swords, authentic names, various customs, methods of warfare, and more. These were not know in Joseph Smiths day. He could not have fabricated them and happen to just guess right. Yet the Book of Mormon gets these and other details correct.

There is a growing body of evidence from New World archaeology that supports the Book of Mormon. Dr. John Clark of the New World Archaeological Foundation has compiled a list of sixty items mentioned in the Book of Mormon. The list includes items such as “steel swords,” “barley,” “cement,” “thrones,” and literacy.

In 1842, only eight (or 13.3%) of those sixty items were confirmed by archaeological evidence. Thus, in the mid-nineteenth century, archaeology did not generally support the claims made by the Book of Mormon. By 2005 forty-five of those sixty items (75%) have been confirmed. Therefore, as things stand at the moment, current New World archaeological evidence tends to verify the claims made by the Book of Mormon. (John Clark, “Debating the Foundations of Mormonism: Archaeology and the Book of Mormon”, presentation at the 2005 FAIR Apologetics Conference (August 2005). Co-presenters, Wade Ardern and Matthew Roper. S. Kent Brown, “New Light: ‘The Place That Was Called Nahom”: New Light from Ancient Yemen,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 8, no. 1 (1999): 66-68.)

Dwight Rogers

If Christianity means “historic orthodox mainstream Christianity” of today then I would agree that Mormonism is not historic Christianity; at least not in every doctrine. Although Mormons have much in common with other Christians Mormons also believe differently than historic Christians in some key areas. But the real questions to ask are 1) What is original Christianity? 2) Is mainstream Christianity of today the same as original Christianity? It turns out that Joseph Smith was right. Mormonism is a restoration of Original Christianity. It is not my intent to criticize Christians of today. However, in many areas of belief Mormons are closer to original Christianity than are many Christians of today.

The first Mormon Article of Faith states: We believe in God the Eternal Father, and in His son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost. In that sense Mormons believe in the Trinity. However “Trinity’ is a word that is not found in the Bible. Nor are the post-Biblical definitions and wording formulations defining the trinity found in the Bible. Thus, believing in post-Biblical creeds is not a requisite for being a Christian. If so, then all the Christians that went before the creeds are not really Christian. That would be preposterous.

Joseph Smith taught “The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it”. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 121).

The central belief of Mormons is that Christ came into the world as the Son of God. He healed the sick, caused the lame to walk, the blind to see, the deaf to hear, and restored life to the dead. He commissioned twelve Apostles to whom he gave authority. He suffered in Gethsemane, died on the cross, and was resurrected and will come again. He, and only He, provides the means for us to be washed clean in his blood from our sins, which sins we can never correct on our own or through our own works. If that is not Christian I don’t know what is. Christ never taught the need to believe in anything like the creeds. Those came later. Does that mean that the early Christians are not really Christians because they did not believe in a “one substance” god? I don’t think so.

Mormon belief is very much like the teachings of the earlier Christians – before the creeds – and also matches the teachings of Christ and the Apostles. The further back in time you go the more Mormon-like Christian doctrine becomes

Mormons believe in original Christianity and that it was restored to the earth through revelation to new prophets

Lewis McCorvey

I was a Mormon who knew in my heart that it ” was the only true church on the face of the earth” This because i felt in my heart as a warm feeling. Nothing beyond that. So from 1975-2011 i was locked in tight in my knowledge they taught me .

Let me give a analogy of who I was .
Like in the trilogy of Jason Bourne , I didn’t know what i would truly learn about my faith for 30 plus years. I was kept from the truth.
In the first part of the movie someone he kills says to him before dying ” look at what they make you give ”

On the last part and now knowing who he really is , not Jason Bourne , but David Webb, he didn’t shot someone this time and was asked why ” to told the man who didn’t know the full truth ” look at what they make you give ”

The Mormon church took alot from me because it did not give me the whole truth about its past . And yet took from me and made me give more than i had to give.

Now i am free from it and have and will keep my distance from people and even those i called close friends who are still affected from it.

EG

I am sorry you had a bad experience. But in all honesty there are stories such as yours by other people who came from different Christian sects who say the same exact thing. Especially people who came out of evangelism.
Also no religion teaches the whole truth from its past. For example, why do people stay in the Catholic church after the priest abuse scandals and cover up? I have never heard of any religion that teaches Christianity started sla ery. And the Protestants do not teach that it was Protestant ministers who started the Ku Klux Klan.

Aot of what you said is inaccurate and is your perception.

STUNNED

Dwight Rogers

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has pointed out that the claim of critics that Mormons are going to receive their own planet is not explicitly stated in official LDS teachings. It may be implied but it is not explicitly taught as a doctrine of the LDS Church. The way this statement is bantered around by critics makes it an inaccurate misrepresentation. It is done in a sensationalized and out of context way which makes it an inaccurate representation of what Latter-day Saints believe.

ciao

You are referring to the Council of Constantinople, which occurred at around the same time as the Council of Nicaea. New formulas(not new truths) of the faith were composed in response to the heresy of Arianism. The early Church found it necessary to affirm the truth when heresy reared its head. The Holy Ghost was magnified at the time in the Apostle’s Creed. It’s like settling the truth in a court of law. But this is faith.

Whatever be its origin, the fact is that the Council of Chalcedon (451) attributed it to the Council of Constantinople, and if it was not actually composed in that council, it was adopted and authorized by the Fathers assembled as a true expression of the Faith.

Scott M

Uh no, the Trinity is biblical and the Council of Nicaea was convened to deal with Arianism; the doctrine that Christ was a created being (a familiar theme of false religions, like Mormonism, the JW’s and Islam). Arianism was formally denounced in this council and again in the council of Constantinople in 381. However it spread throughout Europe and it took the church centuries to stamp out. The 7 Ecumenical Councils were convened mainly to deal with heresy in the Church and to formally articulate (in the creeds and in statements of faith) what the church had ALWAYS believed. Perhaps you should familiarize yourself with the bible and the writings of the Ante- Nicene Church Fathers .
I have spoken with Mormons about the “hope” that is in them; the “burning in the bosom” they feel when they read the Book of Mormon. My hope in not based on a subjective feeling or in the pagan god of the Mormon religion or in the Arian christ of the JW’s; but on the Rock and foundation of Jesus Christ, God incarnate, as he is revealed in scripture.

I find that false religion’s like Mormonism and the JW’s have many things in common:
1. They are all based on “new revelations” and “visions” of one man.
2. They do not believe in the sufficiency of the scripture i.e add their own texts or translate the bible to suit their doctrine.
3. They all claim that the real Christian faith was lost after the apostles and they all claim to be finders of the “true faith” thus making Jesus Christ a liar, who said that the gates of hell would not prevail against His church.
4. Most importantly they all deny the deity of Jesus Christ.
Doctrines of demons. Repent and seek the Way, the Truth and the Life which is found only in our Lord Christ Jesus, creator of ALL things, Redeemer and God.

EG

You are twisting Scripture ( the gates of hell will not prevail). You need to read it from the Greek and understand the beliefs of the early Christians and Jews. They did not believe in a hell.
Hell was mistranslated. Hell is a pagan concept. It is now translated as Hades, the gates of Hades will not prevail. Hades is not hell.

TaraR

Dear Atheist Max, You make me laugh a little. It is also an ancient tradition NOT to believe in a God and to only worship yourself and your desires. That is the very blessing of the “Freedom of Choice” given to us. We get to believe what we want and what we feel is right for us. You made your choice, please let others believe in their own.
Last summer my two boys, 11 and 12 years old, were encouraged by us, their parents, to go on a roller coaster ride at a very nice amusement park. They had a bad experience at a local county fair and swore they would never get on a roller coaster. Though it took about 20 minutes of our encouragement (with some friendly pushing and pulling) and some food bribing, it worked and they trusted us. I rode the roller coaster first and I knew they would love it! My one boy was in tears as he sat in the seat; he hated that he was ‘MADE’ to get on, he was scared of the unsecured feeling he had on the county ride. It took only seconds into this “Big Bear” ride for a HUGE smile to be on his face. We rode the ride over and over again until we had to leave the park. They loved it that much. Oh what they would have missed had they never tried it. They can’t wait to go again this year. They loved how it made them feel.
My example was to try to illustrate why we believe in a God, because we love the Gospel of Jesus Christ that much. We love how it makes us feel. We want to become better people, please don’t discourage that. Also, don’t shy away from it either. You may be missing the feeling(s) you never knew you could have.

trytoseeitmyway

“We have explained over the decades repeatedly that convocation is an opportunity for students to hear from people of all faiths and from all walks of life.”

But are your students hearing everything. If you are going to have a speaker speak about his own religion, you should equip your students beforehand about the facts.

The Book of Mormon cannot be archaelogically or historically verified, and since Mormonism stands or falls on whether or not the Book of Mormon is true, it’s important to investigate this. The reason? Mormonism teaches that Joseph Smith said that God told him that the Gospel was lost from the earth and he was commissioned to restore it, and the fullness of the Gospel is supposed to be contained in the Book of Mormon. If the Book of Mormon is a fraud, then everything that stems from it is fraudulent.

And as far as Mormonism claiming they want to be recognized as Christian:

“Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the Church of the Lamb of God and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore whoso belongeth not to the church of the lamb of God belongeth to that great church; which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth.” (The Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi 14:10)

“Nothing less than a complete apostasy from the Christian religion would warrant the establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” (Documentary History of the Church, Introduction, xl)

“I was answered that I must join none of them (Christian Churches), for they were all wrong…that all their creeds were an abomination in His sight” (Joseph Smith History 1:19).

“…orthodox Christian views of God are Pagan rather than Christian.” (Mormon Doctrine of Deity by B.H. Roberts, p.116)

“…the God whom the ‘Christians’ worship is a being of their own creation…” (Apostle Charles W. Penrose, JD 23:243)

“The Christian world, so called, are heathens as to their knowledge of the salvation of God.” (Brigham Young, JD 8:171)

“We may very properly say that the sectarian world do not know anything correctly, so far as pertains to salvation. Ask them where heaven is?- where they are going to when they die?-where Paradise is! -and there is not a priest in the world that can answer your questions. Ask them what kind of a being our Heavenly Father is, and they cannot tell you so much as Balaam’s ass told him. They are more ignorant than children.” (Brigham Young, JD 5:229).

“The Christian world, I discovered, was like the captain and crew of a vessel on the ocean without a compass, and tossed to and fro whithersoever the wind listed to blow them. When the light came to me, I saw that all the so-called Christian world was grovelling in darkness.” (Brigham Young, JD 5:73).

“What! Are Christians ignorant? Yes, as ignorant of the things of God as the brute best.” (John Taylor, JD 13:225)

“What does the Christian world know about God? Nothing…Why so far as the things of God are concerned, they are the veriest fools; they know neither God nor the things of God.” (John Taylor, JI) 13:225)

“Believers in the doctrines of modern Christendom will reap damnation to their souls (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.177)

“I have learned for myself that Presbyterianism is not true.” (Joseph Smith, DHC 1:6)

“I spoke of the impropriety of turning away from the truth, and going after a people so destitute of righteousness as the Methodists.” (Joseph Smith, DHC 2:319)

“…brother Joseph B. Nobles once told a Methodist priest, after hearing him describe his god, that the god they worshiped was the “Mormon’s” Devil-a being without a body, whereas our God has a body, parts and passions.” (Brigham Young, JD 5:331)

“…brother Heber C. Kimball was beset by a number of Baptist priests who had been attending a conference. He read them all down out of the New Testament….With regard to true theology, a more ignorant people never lived than the present so-called Christian world.” (Brigham Young, JD 8:199).

Dan

Downtown Dave – – – – if you have studied history, much of what you quoted is extremely similar to many quotes of the early Protestants in regards to the Catholic Church and they the same about Protestants. . . . in fact the early Catholic Church and the Protestant Reformation and what followed was filled with violence with millions being killed. . . . ever hear of the Thirty Years war?

In the words of Bill O’Reilly, “No bloviating”. If you want to make a case against the Mormons, this is not the place to do it. This is a place to find common ground, dude, not to tear down another’s beliefs.

Besides which, most of the quotes you posted are not Mormon doctrine. Your statement that “And as far as Mormonism claiming they want to be recognized as Christian…” is false. We ARE Christian. There is no “want to be” at all. What others may think on the matter is up to them.

So what is said in 1 Nephi, what is quoted from Bringham Young the second prophet of the Mormon church, what is said by God about Christian creeds…none of those are Mormon doctrine? Those claims are not to be taken seriously by Mormons? Perhaps when they were said it was intended to be a joke.

Larry

Scott M

No Terry, if you are a Mormon you are not a Christian and we have nothing in common. You may claim to believe in Jesus Christ but it is a Jesus of your own making, like the Jesus of Islam or the Jesus of the JWs. You are certainly free to believe what you like, however I wish Mormons and other false religions would stop trying to co-opt the Christian name in order to validate their beliefs and to make them more palatable to those ignorant about the historic Christian faith.

I marvel that ye are so quickly removing from him that called you in the grace of Christ unto a different gospel; 7which is not another gospel: only there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach unto you any gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let him be anathema. 9As we have said before, so say I now again, If any man preacheth unto you any gospel other than that which ye received, let him be anathema.
Galations 1:6-9

Dwight Rogers

You may be surprised to find that many of the so-called anachronisms in the Book of Mormon are continuing to fall by the wayside as the discoveries mount up. Many things once thought to anachronisms are turning out to be authentic pre-Columbian features mentioned in the Book of Mormon such as horses, pigs, barley, cement, cattle, elephants, writing on metal plates, head plates and body armor and scimitars, silk. Other features of the Book of Mormon are also being confirmed such as Hebraisms, chiasmus, correct details of the incense trail including the correct location of Nahom and Bountiful, metalworking and steel swords, authentic names, various customs, methods of warfare, and more. These were not known in Joseph Smiths day. He could not have fabricated them and happen to just guess right. Yet the Book of Mormon gets these and other details correct.

There is a growing body of evidence from New World archaeology that supports the Book of Mormon. Dr. John Clark of the New World Archaeological Foundation has compiled a list of sixty items mentioned in the Book of Mormon. The list includes items such as “steel swords,” “barley,” “cement,” “thrones,” and literacy.

In 1842, only eight (or 13.3%) of those sixty items were confirmed by archaeological evidence. Thus, in the mid-nineteenth century, archaeology did not generally support the claims made by the Book of Mormon. By 2005 forty-five of those sixty items (75%) have been confirmed. Therefore, as things stand at the moment, current New World archaeological evidence tends to verify the claims made by the Book of Mormon. (John Clark, “Debating the Foundations of Mormonism: Archaeology and the Book of Mormon”, presentation at the 2005 FAIR Apologetics Conference (August 2005). Co-presenters, Wade Ardern and Matthew Roper. S. Kent Brown, “New Light: ‘The Place That Was Called Nahom”: New Light from Ancient Yemen,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 8, no. 1 (1999): 66-68.)

Marcus Johnson

I still have to ask, were there really no other members of the LDS community that Liberty University could find to deliver a commencement address? I’m not LDS, but I’m pretty sure that if the goal was to get a successful, prominent member of the LDS community to deliver an address, there had to be several dozen options more qualified than Beck. Someone who at least managed to last in college for a full semester?

TaraR

I am a Mormon and I enjoyed reading your little punch line/question at the end. Good point if Glenn did not last through college or even a semester, yet he was chosen to speak at a graduation.

The little I know do know about Glenn Beck, is that he is a deep thinker and loves to read and read from all different view points. He is quite intelligent or he wouldn’t be where he is today. Maybe because he familiar with many religions and encourages all to be active in their religion, he was chosen to speak at the college.

Kimberly

Since you asked, Beck did not give the commencement address, he spoke during convocation. Convocation is held at Liberty three times a week and they invite a different speaker from various backgrounds to address the students.

G Chase

What this discussion misses is the nuance that there are branches of Mormonism that have rejected much of what is being complained about here. Reorganized, Reformed, and Temple Lot are some examples of the diversity of various Mormon beliefs, some closer to Evangelicalism than y’all let on.

If they are “branches”, they are not Mormon. They may claim to be, but unless they have membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, headquartered in Salt Lake City, they are not Mormon.

Trytoseeitmyway

The simple answer here is that Beck has had a born-again experience, as indeed is true of Mormons generally. At baptism, Mormons accept Jesus Christ as the personal savior of each of them. As an evangelical, I heard many times the very simple and direct explanation of what salvation requires: acknowledge your sin, and ask Jesus into your heart as your savior and redeemer. As a Mormon, I know that this is what Mormons believe and do when they are baptized. Mormons believe in conversion and rebirth through faith in Jesus Christ.

Rusty

I recommend everyone actually see what Beck had to say in this commencement speech at Liberty. I think the Mormon haters out there will be very surprised. And it was VERY well-received by the audience. It was a terrific message and wasn’t filled with any specific doctrine. It was great.

Carole

If I am not mistaken, Glenn Beck was born and raised Catholic and only converted to Mormonism when he met his wife. You may be seeing some of his Christian upbringing bleeding through. He appears to me to be a good moral man, whatever his present religious beliefs.

STUNNED

He converted when he “converted” his Radio Personality and took on the “conservative” Persona. People need to look a little further into who this guy really is and listen to some of the stuff he said when he was a morning shock jock.

Lucy wheeler

As a devout Catholic, I have watched and listen to Glenn for a long time. He’s not only a Christian, but he walks the walk and talks the talk. I’ll never forget the day he gave the Gospel on the fox network. I couldn’t, believe it. He is a couragest
Christian and a great American. Beck started all the talk and books written in the last 8 years about our founding fathers and also how God was so important in putting our country together. Who ever thought about the constitution until Beck started bringing it up. God bless you, Glenn.

kelso

Robert Starling says Mormons are pre-Nicene Christians. As if the Council of Nicaea and its 300 or so bishops just appeared out of the blue with no previous faith in the Trinity. Nonsense! Starling, obviously, has never studied the pre-Nicene fathers of the Church. And, obviously, he rejects scripture and the one true Church that decided what books were inspired by God and which were not. Mormons reject the baptismal Trinitarian formula that Jesus commanded to be used: “Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” In the NAME, Mr. Starling, not Names. One God, three Persons. If God is not a Trinity of Persons then do tell: What is the inner Life in God. “In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” The Trinity is revealed by Jesus in many places in the Gospels and it is clear also in the Epistles. If God is not a plurality of Persons, three, then why is God always referred to by the plural Elohim in the Old Testament. Again, at creation, “Let US make man in Our image and likeness.” How is God a Father if He has not a Son? Uncreated, eternally-begotten. And how is there not a procession of the Love between Father and Son, the Holy Spirit? If the Word is not a Person, then how is the self-knowledge of God an Infinite and Eternal Act? If the Act is less than a Person then it is not an Infinite Eternal Act. Same with the Inner Act of Love in God. The threeness of God is reflected in all creation, in matter 3 dimensions), and in our spiritual act in His image. If there is a knower, there is a known, and if there is a known then there is a knowing. Nor did Constantine “preside” over the Council of Nicaea. He and the Pope, Sylvester, summoned the bishops, east and west. THERE WERE BISHOPS TO SUMMON!!! Constantine wanted peace in the empire. The Arian heresy was afflicting the Church in the east. Constantine, as the contemporary historian Eusebius of Caesarea attests, welcomed the bishops at the first session. He listened to the presentations at only that session. He was not present at the following sessions, leaving the issue of Arianism to the bishops. His mother was a Catholic, but he was not baptized until later, after the Council. Mormonism is absurd. And, in no way, is it Christian. Jesus sanctified matrimony between one man and one woman and He condemned divorce and remarriage while either spouse was living. Yet, Joseph Smith comes along and takes 20 wives. Then comes Brigham Young, who was implicated in Smith’s murder, and hightails off to Utah following Smith’s polygamous example. Oh, by Smith had a revelation, a new gospel, dismissing what Jesus had sanctified. And, denying the teachings of Christ and His sacraments. Mormons are protesters, worse than the protesting Protestants.

Larry

Trinitarianism is not the default of early Christianity. Just the type adopted by the Roman Empire and its satrapies. There was a very powerful group of Christians who denied the Trinity. The Arianists.

Arianism was the chief Christian faith among the “Barbarian” Germanic tribes such as the Goths, Vandals and Franks. The Vandals who sacked Rome were as Christian as the people inside the city walls.

The first sectarian conflicts within the religion were between Roman Catholics and Arianists. Arians were wiped out in sectarian warfare. Nicaea was an attempt to codify Catholicism as the official accepted form of Christianity for the Roman Empire.

ciao

The Trinity clearly was revealed by Jesus Christ himself. There is God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit, who Jesus promised to send after he returned to heaven to be at His Father’s right hand. Pentecost was the fulfillment of that promise when the apostles were gathered together shortly after Jesus ascended to heaven. From that time we have the doctrine of the Trinity. The councils and creeds that came later only affirmed that truth after the heresy of Arianism and others that came after that.

Dwight Rogers

I don’t see anywhere in the Bible where Jesus or his Apostles taught that to be a Christian you have to believe in a creed that didn’t exist until centuries later. I don’t see them teaching that you have to believe in a one substance god in three persons. If believing in the extra-Biblical creeds is a requisite for being Christian then Christ and the Apostles and all the early Christians weren’t Christians.

God through the Apostle Paul warned Christians not to adopt extra-Biblical creeds (See Galatians 1:6-9). God gave the same warning to Joseph Smith saying “Their creeds were an abomination.” (Joseph Smith History 1:18-19) This is exactly what the apostle Paul warned about. Funny – Joseph Smith agrees with Paul. Or, not surprisingly, God agrees with Himself when He spoke to both Paul and Joseph.

Well, they did adopt extra-Biblical creeds not taught by Jesus or his apostles. There was a prophesied falling away and Joseph Smith fulfils the Biblical prophecies of a subsequent restoration of Christianity to the earth (See Acts 3:19-21; Malachi 3:1; Malachi 4:5-6; Rev. 14:6-7; Matt. 24:31)

If Christianity means “historic orthodox mainstream Christianity” of today then I would agree that Mormonism is not historic Christianity; at least not in every doctrine. Although Mormons have much in common with other Christians Mormons also believe differently than historic Christians in some key areas. But the real questions to ask are 1) What is original Christianity? 2) Is mainstream Christianity of today the same as original Christianity? It turns out that Joseph Smith was right. Mormonism is a restoration of Original Christianity. It is not my intent to criticize Christians of today. However, with all the criticism of Mormonism it is important to notice that in many areas of belief Mormons are closer to original Christianity than are many Christians of today.

In 325 AD a council of about 300 (out of 1800 serving) bishops gathered in Nicea at the request of the Emperor Constantine and formulated a creed that tried to reconcile the Biblical statements that there three persons called “God” and yet there was “one” God. They then forced all Christians to accept their solution as “gospel” and to push it onto the other 1500 bishops with varying results. Theological debates and other councils continued to dispute the matter for centuries which produced additional creeds.

Mormons are not supposed to be Christian because they have some doctrinal differences with other Christian groups of today. The foundation or at least defining articulation for the beliefs of many Christians today are the creeds of the 4th. 5th, and 6th centuries and so on. Mormons would rather focus on the teachings of scripture rather than extra-scriptural creeds

Dwight Rogers

Harper’s Bible Dictionary states: “The formal doctrine of the Trinity as it was defined by the great church councils of the fourth and fifth centuries is not to be found in the New Testament.” [In P. Achtemeier, ed., Harper’s Bible Dictionary (San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1985), p. 1099

In a major treatment of the doctrine of the Trinity, Jesuit scholar Edmund J. Fortman, notes that “there is no trinitarian doctrine in the Synoptics or Acts.” He also states that in the New Testament “nowhere do we find any trinitarian doctrine of three distinct subjects of divine life and activity in the same Godhead,” and that “in John there is no trinitarian formula.” [Edmund J. Fortman, The Triune God: A Historical Study of the Doctrine of the Trinity (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1972), pp. 14, 16, 29.]

Wiles syas “The emergence of the full trinitarian doctrine was not possible without significant modification of previously accepted ideas.” (Wiles, Making of Christian Doctrine, p. 144

And: “It is clearly impossible (if one accepts historical evidence as relevant at all) to escape the claim that the later formulations of dogma cannot be reached by a process of deductive logic from the original propositions and must contain an element of novelty.” (Wiles, Making of Christian Doctrine, p. 4.)

Fortman states concerning Paul’s writings: “These passages give no doctrine of the Trinity, but they show that Paul linked together Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They give no trinitarian formula. . . but they offer material for the later development of trinitarian doctrine. . . [Paul] has no formal trinitarian doctrine and no clear-cut realization of a trinitarian problem, but he furnishes much material for the later development of a trinitarian doctrine. (. Fortman, Triune God, pp. 22-23.

After examining all parts of the New Testament, Fortman concludes: “There is no formal doctrine of the Trinity in the New Testament writers, if this means an explicit teaching that in one God there are three co-equal divine persons. But the three are there, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and a triadic ground plan is there, and triadic formulas are there . . . .The Biblical witness to God, as we have seen, did not contain any formal or formulated doctrine of the Trinity, any explicit teaching that in one God there are three co-equal divine persons. (Fortman, Triune God, pp. 32, 35

Among textual experts and also Biblical theologians, particularly Roman Catholics, there is a growing recognition that one should be careful when speaking of Trinitarianism in the New Testament. They recognize that the Trinity doctrines of later centuries contain much that is simply not found in the New Testiment. (R. L. Richard, “Trinity, Holy,” in New Catholic Encyclopedia, 15vols. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1967), 14:295.

According to Fortman, the classical doctrine of the Trinity wasn’t a part of Christianity in the apostolic period or in the early second century, either. Speaking of the Apostolic Fathers, he writes, “There is in them, of course, no trinitarian doctrine and no awareness of a trinitarian problem.” (Fortman, Triune God, p. 44.

The best scholars in the field, agree. For instance, in his work Early Christian Doctrines, J.N.D. Kelly writes of the second-century Apostolic Fathers: “Of a doctrine of the Trinity in the strict sense there is of course no sign, although the Church’s triadic formula left its mark everywhere.” [J.N.D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines, rev. ed. (New York: Harper 1978), p. 95.]

Elsewhere in this same work, Kelly states, “The Church had to wait for more than three hundred years for a final synthesis, for not until the Council of Constantinople (381) was the formula of one God existing in three coequal Persons formally ratified.” (Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines, pp. 87-88.)

According to R. L. Richard “the formulation ‘one God in three Persons’ was not solidly established, certainly not fully assimilated into Christian life and its profession of faith, prior to the end of the 4th century. Among the Apostolic Fathers, there had been nothing even remotely approaching such a mentality or perspective.” (New Catholic Encyclopedia 14:299.)

Adolf Harnack in his text “Das Wesen des Christentums”, trans. Thomas Bailey Saunders, “What is Christianity?”, notes that in the 2nd century, Christianity adapted wholecloth Greek philosophy and readily ascribed to Hellenism and the philosophical view of God. (p. 145f). “…Hellenism as a whole and in every phase of its development was established in the Church.” (p. 146). They went so far as to even equate Jesus with the “Logos” itself, “The identification of the Logos with Christ was the determining factor in the fusion of Greek philosophy with the apostolic inheritance.” (p. 146).

Trytoseeitmyway

Joel

“Liberty students are smart enough to eat the fish and spit out the bones! I believe that’s as true today as it was in his day.”

Not only are they smart enough to do so, but it is a testimony to the strength of their own faith and confidence in their own beliefs that they can listen to those of other faiths and take in that which is good and sift out what they don’t agree with. It demonstrates a maturity and a healthy attitude that we all need to have as we interact with people of all walks of life and beliefs.

Downtown Dave said: “But are your students hearing everything. If you are going to have a speaker speak about his own religion, you should equip your students beforehand about the facts.”

Dave, these are not little children who know nothing about other faiths. They are adults who have been educated about other beliefs during their educational career. Give them some credit for taking responsibility for learning what they should learn and weeding out the false doctrines.
And No, Mormons do not want to be considered part of the Traditional Christian (Capital C) community. However, based on what they claim to believe about Jesus Christ, the only faith category they can place themselves in is that of christian (little c).

John

It’s so sad watching Mormons and Protestants squabble. Please, brothers and sisters, recognize the only way to follow Christ as He intends is in and through the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. She welcomes you all.

Lucy wheeler

I’m a Catholic we could do some cleaning up and we also could learn some spirituality from our Christian brothers and sisters. I love my church but will never look down on my fellow Christians in Christ.

Matt

If Glenn Beck is a born again, then he needs to say so on his radio program and denounce Mormonism. Just this morning he said that Christians who complained about a Mormon presenting at Liberty are hateful. He repeated over and over that he’s a Mormon and that his kids are Mormons. He makes the distinction himself that he’s a Mormon, not an orthodox christian! Liberty needs to wake up to the fact that Mormonism is demonic in origin because the Mormon god is a false god who is not God by nature as Paul preaches in Galatians 4:8, and Romans 1:21-23. That my friends, is worshiping demons. Read your Bible!

STUNNED

Even if he states that he is I would be wary of anything that man says. Remember this is a former Radio Shock Jock that filled the airways with the most vile filth imaginable who has now somehow reinvented himself and tricked people into believing he is actually a conservative.

Dwight Rogers

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Latter-day Saints [LDS] or Mormons) believe in being born again. That does not mean that Latter-day Saints belong to one of the groups calling themselves “Born again Christians” as term is often used today. Rather, the LDS believe in the process of believing in Jesus Christ and being born again as He taught it in scripture. Mormons not only believe in Jesus’s teachings on being born again as found in the bible (See John 3:3-7; and 1 Peter 1:23 for examples), but Latter-day Saints also believe in the teaching as further clarified in the Book of Mormon.

Mosiah 27:25
25 And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;

Alma 5:49
49 And now I say unto you that this is the order after which I am called, yea, to preach unto my beloved brethren, yea, and every one that dwelleth in the land; yea, to preach unto all, both old and young, both bond and free; yea, I say unto you the aged, and also the middle aged, and the rising generation; yea, to cry unto them that they must repent and be born again.

Alma 7:14
14 Now I say unto you that ye must repent, and be born again; for the Spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.

Alma 36:23
23 But behold, my limbs did receive their strength again, and I stood upon my feet, and did manifest unto the people that I had been born of God.

Dwight Rogers

God through the Apostle Paul warned Christians not to adopt extra-Biblical creeds (See Galatians 1:6-9). God gave the same warning to Joseph Smith saying “Their creeds were an abomination.” (Joseph Smith History 1:18-19) This is exactly what the apostle Paul warned about. Funny – Joseph Smith agrees with Paul. Or, not surprisingly, God agrees with Himself when He spoke to both Paul and Joseph.

Well, they did adopt extra-Biblical creeds not taught by Jesus or his apostles. There was a prophesied falling away and Joseph Smith fulfils the Biblical prophecies of a subsequent restoration of Christianity to the earth (See Acts 3:19-21; Malachi 3:1; Malachi 4:5-6; Rev. 14:6-7; Matt. 24:31)

If Christianity means “historic orthodox mainstream Christianity” of today then I would agree that Mormonism is not historic Christianity; at least not in every doctrine. Although Mormons have much in common with other Christians Mormons also believe differently than historic Christians in some key areas. But the real questions to ask are 1) What is original Christianity? 2) Is mainstream Christianity of today the same as original Christianity? It turns out that Joseph Smith was right. Mormonism is a restoration of Original Christianity. It is not my intent to criticize Christians of today. However, with all the criticism of Mormonism it is important to notice that in many areas of belief Mormons are closer to original Christianity than are many Christians of today.

In many areas of belief (probably the majority of areas) Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) believe the same as most other Christians. It is true that in some limited areas – some very critical ones – the beliefs of Mormons differ from other Christians. Likewise there are some major areas of difference between Catholics and Protestants and likewise between one Protestant group and the next. Every denomination could make the claim that the other groups are not Christian because those other beliefs differ from their own. Careful research reveals that when Mormonism differs from current mainstream Christianity the Mormon viewpoint is usually the one that is closer to early pre-creedal Christianity.

Joseph Smith taught “The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it”. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 121).

The central belief of Mormons is that Christ came into the world as the Son of God. He healed the sick, caused the lame to walk, the blind to see, the deaf to hear, and restored life to the dead. He commissioned twelve Apostles to whom he gave authority. He suffered in Gethsemane, died on the cross, and was resurrected and will come again. He, and only He, provides the means for us to be washed clean in his blood from our sins, which sins we can never correct on our own or through our own works. If that is not Christian I don’t know what is. Christ never taught the need to believe in anything like the creeds. Those came later. Does that mean that the early Christians are not really Christians because they did not believe in a “one substance” god? I don’t think so.

Dwight Rogers

The Book of Mormon was published in 1830. It mentions Jesus by one of His names (Jesus, Christ, Lord etc…) on average every 2 and a half verses – more often than does the Bible.

Mormon belief, worship, and teaching, centers around Jesus Christ. The actual name of the church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The central emphasis of the Book of Mormon is to testify of the Jesus of the Bible. The Book of Mormon is a second witness of Jesus Christ.

Mormons first Article of Faith states: We believe in God the Eternal Father, and in His son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.

Dwight Rogers

The Book of Mormon clearly testifies of the Jesus of the Bible – not “another Jesus” as some Christians falsely allege. For example, just as Isaiah saw and prophesied of Jesus, the Book of Mormon prophet Nephi also saw the Jesus of the Bible in vision and prophesied of His birth, ministry, death, and resurrection. An angel tells Nephi of the birth of the Son of God saying “I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem….and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin” and “Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God (see 1 Ne. 11:13,18).

This Book of Mormon prophet clearly describes the Jesus who is the Son of God whose Mother was a virgin in the city of Nazareth near Jerusalem. Nephi says “And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms…. And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father!” (1 Ne. 11: 20-21). Nephi then says he saw “the Son of God going forth among the children of men; and I saw many fall down at his feet and worship him.” (1 Ne. 11:24).

Nephi goes on saying: “And I looked and beheld the Redeemer of the world, of whom my father had spoken; and I also beheld the prophet who should prepare the way before him. And the Lamb of God went forth and was baptized of him; and after he was baptized, I beheld the heavens open, and the Holy Ghost come down out of heaven and abide upon him in the form of a dove. And I beheld that he went forth ministering unto the people, in power and great glory; and the multitudes were gathered together to hear him; and I beheld that they cast him out from among them. And I also beheld twelve others following him.” (1 Ne. 11:27-29)

Here Nephi testifies of the Jesus who was baptized of John and who was followed by twelve others. And Nephi says “And I looked, and I beheld the Lamb of God going forth among the children of men. And I beheld multitudes of people who were sick, and who were afflicted with all manner of diseases, and with devils and unclean spirits. . . .And they were healed by the power of the Lamb of God; and the devils and the unclean spirits were cast out. . . .And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world; and I saw and bear record. And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world.” (1 Ne, 11:31-33)

The Mormon Jesus is the one who did all these things mentioned above including being slain on the cross for the sins of the world. That’s the Jesus of the Bible.

Dwight Rogers

One of the recurring themes of the Book of Mormon is to bring, not only non-Jews to Christ but to bring the Jews, who rejected Him, back to Jesus Christ their true Messiah. The Mormon Jesus is, therefore, clearly the Jesus of the Bible whom the Jews rejected and crucified. We see this in the following verses from the Book of Mormon:

2 Nephi 26:12
And as I spake concerning the convincing of the Jews, that Jesus is the very Christ, it must needs be that the Gentiles be convinced also that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God;

Mormon 3:21
And also that ye may believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, which ye shall have among you; and also that the Jews, the covenant people of the Lord, shall have other witness besides him whom they saw and heard, that Jesus, whom they slew, was the very Christ and the very God.

Mormon 7:5
Know ye that ye must come to the knowledge of your fathers, and repent of all your sins and iniquities, and believe in Jesus Christ, that he is the Son of God, and that he was slain by the Jews, and by the power of the Father he hath risen again, whereby he hath gained the victory over the grave; and also in him is the sting of death swallowed up.

Mormon 7:8
Therefore repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and lay hold upon the gospel of Christ, which shall be set before you, not only in this record but also in the record which shall come unto the Gentiles from the Jews, which record shall come from the Gentiles unto you.

Mormon 5:14
And behold, they shall go unto the unbelieving of the Jews; and for this intent shall they go—that they may be persuaded that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God; that the Father may bring about, through his most Beloved, his great and eternal purpose, in restoring the Jews, or all the house of Israel, to the land of their inheritance, which the Lord their God hath given them, unto the fulfilling of his covenant;

The Book of Mormon testifies repeatedly and clearly of the Jesus who was born of the Virgin Mary, who lived in the area around Nazareth and Jerusalem, who was baptized by John, who appointed twelve Apostles, who healed the sick and raised the dead, who was crucified and rose again on the third day and by who’s grace we are saved,

Trytoseeitmyway

STUNNED

After this I will never send My kids to your schools! It’s bad enough when they are bombarded at regular colleges but to be forced to listen to some Cult Leader try to indoctrinate them into his cult is an insult and just plain WRONG!

Mormons are not Christians and to pretend that they teach anything close to it really makes me wonder what your college is really about. It’s so sad that so many people have been taken in by BECK and his false teachings.

Larry

Dwight Rogers

Please see my comments to Matt above. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are clearly Christians believing in Jesus Christ. Also see my replies to Kelso above. These should help to clear up an apparent misunderstanding.

Joseph

I have investigated for over 2 years Lds Doctrine, from Joseph Smith to Thomas Monson and concluded that they believe in a Jesus as only a Saviour and not as God Incarnete as all denominations of Christians. Even the demons believe in Jesus The Holy One of God! I pray fervently for all lds leadership and others that
The Holy Spirit of God reveals the Real Way and the Truth and The Life can only come by Faith in The Only Door to Heaven which is By The Blood of Jesus The Perfect Lamb of God. Please Pray and study Acts though Galatians The Holy Spirit will do the rest.Christ Jesus is the Great I Am! Always existed He was not
Created God’s First born! I Beg you and my life’s breath in me Knows a church of any denomination including the lds chuch and all it’s good works can not save any Soul! All in Christ’s Love, Joseph P.

Tammy Hall

I would like to say I do not agree with Liberty University about allowing other religions to come and speak at Liberty. Scripture says, 2 Corinthians11:4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. Paul warns in verse 3… But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
Your excuse was that this was a convocation and not church service, but isn’t the function of a convocation to represent the views of an alumni to the university administration. I have not read where Glen Beck was an alumni of Liberty University. I’m sorry I’m a rooky so bare with me. My God is the creator of all things and He is a jealous God and he will have no other gods before Him. We stand on the word of God and Him alone and secular colleges already teach non biblical things. If you really back your faith statement then you would NEVER allow another gospel into your building. What you teach your students is why we believe what we believe and stand firm on it so that when they go out into the world they can STAND FIRM ON THE TRUTH.. Shame on you Liberty University. You are wrong in your behavior which tells me you do not back your faith statement. I would not want my children or grandchildren to come to your University because you do not stand for BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES..

[…] 2.) Jonathan Merrit of Religion News Services looks at some of the complaints that some university alumni and donors had towards Glenn Beck’s appearance at evangelical Liberty University. In a letter sent to donors and alumni, university senior vice-president for communications and assistant to the president at the university Johnnie Moore sent out a letter which seems to reference that he thinks Beck might have had a born-again experience at the university: “By the way, many conservative evangelical leaders who are closer to Beck than me have told me that they believe Beck has had a born again experience recently. I do not know his heart but our audience knows that he was speaking only for himself and expressing his personal opinions and beliefs, not those of Liberty University or even of Mormonism generally. As Jerry Falwell, Sr., our founder, often used to say about speakers at Liberty who had different views than him, Liberty students are smart enough to eat the fish and spit out the bones! I believe that’s as true today as it was in his day.” […]

[…] Jonathan Merritt at Religion News Service reports on an email from senior vice-president and Liberty spokesman Johnnie Moore. Moore countered critics by saying the Convocation service was not a chapel. According to Moore: […]